Essay On The Reform Movements Of The United States

During the mid nineteenth century the United States went through many reform movements that helped expand democratic ideals. Such democratic ideals are equality, freedom of speech, education, human rights, justice and abolishing slavery. The three main reform movements that expanded democratic ideals were the Women’s right movement, the Abolishment movement, and the Education movement. The women’s right movement was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton who fought for equality for all women. The abolitionist movement was a movement led Fredrick Douglas whose goal was to free all of the slaves in the United States and give them Justice and human rights. The education movement led by Horace Mann was a movement that pushed for giving all children, no matter age, race, or wealth the

In the first couple of years abolitionists dealt with strong opposition of their moral campaign from the people in the south. The main speaker of this movement was Frederick Douglass, a native american former slave, so he knew what it was like to be a slave. On Independence day Douglass had a big speech for all of the abolishment movement supporters, Douglass asks, “What to the American slave is your fourth of July?” (document E). He asks this question at the start of his speech because he's trying to state that the fourth of july is really only for white people, not black and is wondering why he is there to talk for Independence for the white people. Douglass replies back with a strong answer, “ a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim” (document E). The antislavery movement took a lot of fighting, and a lot of lives, but in the end this movement allowed the slaves to be set free and the brought liberty, justice and human rights to all of the